Digging in the Dirt Allowed New Vista High School Students the Opportunity to Connect with the Earth and Each Other. Written by CI Field Instructor Kelsi Massengale.

On a bright and sunny Friday morning, students from New Vista High School’s CAP class prepared for their field day with a bit of hacky-sack outside the school with their Principal. Although this trip wouldn’t have much to do with hacky-sacks later, the tone of the day was certainly set with laughter, jokes, and a bit of teamwork– all before 9 am.

Once the hacky-sack was put away and students were loaded into the cars, the class headed to Ollin Farms in Longmont, where they soon met the owner of the farm for a tour. Here, the class learned about regenerative agricultural practices with hands-on service learning. After walking the farm, students spent time digging radishes from last fall to feed to the sheep. The whole crew was overwhelmed with cuteness and glee as the sheep snatched up the greens like koi fish in a pond. Once the breakfast buffet ended, students paired up for digging out onions from one patch to replant in another. They had a blast exploring the dirt and all the critters crawling in it– a great sign of soil and farm health! After the onions were carefully replanted, students learned about another fascinating practice used on Ollin Farms: mycelium for soil health.

Mycelium is the root-like structure of fungi that, in the right conditions, can spread and help decompose materials to replenish the soil. This is exactly what students helped Ollin Farms to do as they broke down blocks of mycelium and spread them along the newly-planted onion patch, followed by wood chips from local aspen trees. Students rejoiced as they got their hands dirty and completed their service project just in time for lunch.

After a joyful meal filled with watermelon and a deep philosophical debate about whether crackers are chips, the students shifted towards an afternoon of community-building and nature connection. Games, singing, and laughter helped facilitate connections among one another; when students reflected on the day, many shared that they’re favorite part was getting to know each other outside of their normal school setting. The day ended with further reflection and mindfulness, as the class spread out along the riverbank to try their hand at sound mapping- a practice where you sit and enjoy the present moment, listening intently to create a visual map of all the sounds around. As students pensively gathered back, they expressed surprise towards all the sounds they heard and a calm, grounding presence they now felt.

To tie a bow on a beautiful day, students engaged in a connections web, where they tossed a ball of yarn to one another to show all the ways they noticed and appreciated each other that day. Here, the field day concluded, with birds singing and a new sense of group cohesion in place.

Students are now looking forward to their overnight trip in May, where they can continue learning, bonding, and connecting to the world around them.

A big thanks to the funders and supporters that make the CAP class possible, including: Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, Patagonia, Thorne Nature Experience, Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program and the Xcel Energy Foundation.

If you too are passionate about getting students outside and inspiring them to connect with the natural world, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! You’ll help invest in our students, programs, and long-term sustainability and success!